


Reed's First Snow

by buttercookiesandtea



Category: Dalton Academy Series
Genre: Dalton December Challenge 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27905059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buttercookiesandtea/pseuds/buttercookiesandtea
Summary: Reed had experienced many snows before. But not one that mattered, not yet.
Kudos: 5





	Reed's First Snow

Reed had seen the snow many times from the safety of the Van Kamp home. Every year, bundled up against the cold properly in the latest fashions, Reed trudged through snow that had already been plowed and over thin layers of ice on sidewalks. Never had he been allowed to actually play in it, between the strict rules of Dalton and his mother. Hilde had never approved of such tomfoolery.

At least, until Shane transferred to Dalton. The Colorado boy was always allowed to play in the snow as he wished, and was pretty good at it, too. When the first snow of the season came to the school, Shane was up early that Friday morning and already out front, in mismatched mittens, a coat buttoned up one button off, and a scarf that wasn’t even tied. He was shoving up snow to make walls, protecting halfway up the windows on Windsor’s first floor. What started as an even layer of snow slowly became well-packed walls, with a small collection of snowballs stacked at key points.

Blaine was the next awake, maybe it was some sibling understanding, but it woke up the Twins too. Blaine at least had the sense to change from pyjama pants into real pants, but soon enough there was a troop of boys thundering down the stairs of Windsor and piling outside. They took up stations at all the key positions, including some lookouts from the higher windows and Han’s cameras.

The walkie talkies crackled. “First target sighted.”

The voice was Evan’s. The target, Logan. It couldn’t have been anyone else. He was on his way back from the cafeteria, and had a disposable coffee cup in hand. Fresh flakes stuck in his hair. In his other hand was his phone. The perfect unsuspecting target, his movements tracked through walkie talkie.

“Ready.” Half a dozen snowballs raised.

“Take aim.” Only three remained ready for throwing, the ones who had the best shot.

“Fire.”

Splat.

Dead center onto the back of Logan’s coat, causing him to stumble and spill a little coffee, tainting the fresh white snow.

What happened next could only be described like watching a slow motion scene. Logan turned in the direction of the snow forts, his eyes searching for the offender. Shane tugged down Reed just in time to avoid being seen, but it was too late. Logan knew that designer hat anywhere, Hilde made sure that he always stood out just enough to be found in a crowd. The cup was traded for a snowball, tightly packed. And he crouched, waiting.

One by one, Windsor heads poke up from behind the wall, wondering why it was so silent. Pairs of eyes focus on Logan, who is still waiting for that telltale designer hat, and the boy who accompanies.

Up pops the hat, with Reed’s eyes peering over.

Then Shane.

Contact.

The snowball hit not Shane, who was the one responsible for hitting Logan, but Reed. So Shane knew exactly how far Logan was willing to take this fight.

A chorus of gasps.

Like meerkats, Windsors turned back to Logan. Arms raised.

“Fire!”

No one went to classes that day. Instead, some of the teachers came out with thermoses of hot chocolate and a warning of no throwing snowballs at them, so they could keep track of absolutely pointless points. Snow forts were built around campus, so that each house could send out attack teams and have places to hide. Only an hour was set aside for that, and each had to be marked with the house crests, but it allowed the boys to span the entire campus.

They got word that Dobry had done much the same.

It wasn’t Reed’s first snow, not by a long shot. But it was the first that didn’t have rules that Reed hated following, and it was the first one with Shane. With his brothers from Windsor.

It was the first snow that mattered.


End file.
